Next-Gen Mini Cooper Spied Testing Around the Globe

The Countryman may have become one of Mini's best-selling vehicles, but the Cooper is the face of the brand and the car that started it all. With a debut expected by the end of this year, Mini is hard at work testing the next-generation Mini Cooper, and our spy photographers have recently caught two examples of the next-gen MINI Cooper testing, one in Europe, and another on the California coast.

They may be covered in dazzle camouflage, but both Mini Cooper prototypes look as you'd expect them too - Mini-ish. With such an iconic shape, there won't be any radical changes to the next-gen Cooper. The Mini Cooper spotted on the California freeway has bug-eyed headlights and the flat and wide front bumper similar to Mini prototypes we've spotted testing in the past. We suspect that this Mini is an early test mule.

The Mini we spotted over in Europe looks much closer to production-ready. The wider nose looks almost identical to the current Mini Cooper, with similar headlights and a revised grille. A look at the prototype from the side reveals a longer front overhang, and a more sloping grille, which should make the upcoming Mini Cooper more pedestrian-friendly in the event someone on foot finds a Mini barreling down the road at them. The new spy shots also reveals what appears to be a production-spec rear bumper and new taillights.